Steal My Sunshine
by annaluma876
Summary: "The sun was shining, the sky was blue, the grass was green. All the little things she used to take for granted. Carol never thought she would see the day when she would be able to take pleasure in these small things again." The group learns to adjust to life in Alexandria and then things go awry. Takes place a few episodes before the events of the season five finale. Caryl.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi everyone, I'm back! :) I can't wait to start writing again. I know this is short but I just wanted to give you all a little sample to see if you like it. Thanks for reading! Here we go...**

He could smell the cookies from the living room. Carol had just put in a fresh batch for the dinner party tonight. The people of Alexandria wanted to welcome the newcomers with a fancy dinner, the complete opposite of what Daryl was accustomed to.

It felt so weird living like this, living, acting like things were normal in Alexandria. If they only knew what it was like outside of the walls, if they only knew.

The others were quick to adjust to life here. They still didn't fully trust the people of Alexandria but they were adjusting and Daryl felt them slipping away, even Rick.

He felt her presence behind him.

"Hey." Carol interrupted his thoughts.

"Err hi." He looked up from cleaning his crossbow. He had talked Deanna into letting him keep the bow but with no arrows.

She snickered. "Am I disturbing you?"

"Nah I'm just thinkin'."

Carol knew him all too well to know that he wanted to be left alone.

"Well I'm going to take a walk around the block before the party. I will be back in a while, do you need anything?"

"Nah I'm good."

She nodded and left the room.

He hated this. They were just playing house and they all knew it deep down, this wouldn't last forever. Deanna gave the group four houses. Rick and the kids in one, Maggie and Glenn in another, Roserita, Abraham, and Tara in one and Daryl and Carol in another.

Daryl was the only one that had yet to take a shower. Sure, he knew he smelled and looked like shit but he didn't want to fall into this routine and have it all taken away from him once again.

This was the one thing he felt that he still had control over.

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She looked around. The sun was shining, the sky was blue, the grass was green. All the little things she used to take for granted. Carol never thought she would see the day when she would be able to take pleasure in these small things again.

That's why these walks meant so much to her. It was her time to be alone with her thoughts. She used to do the same before the end of the world. When she couldn't bear the thought of being in the same room as her husband or when she didn't feel like being beaten first thing when he got home from work, she would walk.

So she kept walking, even now.

She was so grateful for these people for welcoming them into their community. Of course she didn't trust them fully but she knew they were at least safe for the time being.

She knew Daryl's thoughts about being here. He hated it. He hated the pretending, the fake portrayal of a world they once knew.

"Carol!" A tall, blond woman whom they met when they first got to Alexandria approached her. "Carol hi!"

Carol closed her eyes shut and took a deep breath. She hated when her walks were interrupted. She couldn't remember the woman's name even if her life depended on it.

"Hi..."

"Amy, I know it must be hard keeping track of all these names."

"Right, Amy, I apologize."

"Oh don't worry about it I understand. Anyway, how are you guys settling in?"

Small talk... Something Carol hated even more than walkers. Figures, she didn't have friends before the apocalypse.

"We are settling in just fine. Thank you. We are all very excited for the dinner party tonight."

"Oh great well we can't wait to give you all a formal welcoming. And listen, about the party tonight don't worry about bringing anything. The ladies and I have created a schedule and it would just be easier for you and us not to bring anything."

Carol stared blankly at Amy.

Amy picked that up as her cue to leave. "Well I'll see you tonight!"

"Great."

The people were great but something was off. That's exactly why Carol, Daryl, and Rick had decided to keep their distance from the beginning and put on somewhat of a show.

They had to keep these people at a distance because last time they learned the hard way.

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Carol walked in the door and heard yelling. She went to the kitchen where Rick and Daryl were in a shouting match.

"Nah Rick I don't trust them and I ain't gonna act like I do!"

"Daryl you have to act like it otherwise they are going to sense our distrust."

Daryl shook his head and clenched his fists. "Y'all have jus been dumb asses since the day we got 'ere, running around acting like everythin' we seen outside those walls don't exist. Well fuckin' newsflash THEY DO!"

Carol flinched.

"I know that Daryl but I also know that if we don't do this, if we don't get along with these people then we are going to die. Each and every one of us. This is the only time that I've seen a future for my kids, for my baby girl, Daryl this is our chance."

"Fuck you Rick! Yer bein' real stupid. Yer lettin' this place and this fucked up glimmer of hope you have cloud yer judgement!"

Carol stood in the doorway watching it all unfold. "Stop it! Before anyone else hears you. You two should hear yourselves."

"I ain't goin' to that damn party that's for sure." Daryl glared at Carol.

She looked at him. "You're going to that party and you're taking a shower. And Rick you are loosing it a little bit, you're getting caught up in this fantasy world."

Rick stared at Carol like a deer in headlights. "Oh and you're not?"

She rolled her eyes. "I didn't say that. Of course I am enjoying it and getting wrapped up in small things but I'm keeping my distance."

"I can't believe you two." Rick stormed out of the house slamming the door behind him.

Carol and Daryl stood in the kitchen for a long time staring at each other knowing that things were about to change... Whether they liked it or not.


	2. Chapter 2

Carol could hear the fancy dining music playing from her house. She sat on the couch waiting for Daryl to come downstairs. She begged him to take a shower and put on a nice outfit.

Thoughts were flooding Carol's mind as she sat on the couch in the living room. She wanted these people to like her, but she didn't trust them. Sure, a year ago she wouldn't have thought twice about trusting these people. But after everything they've been through it was hard to trust anyone again.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the creaking of the stairs behind her. She turned around and saw Daryl standing on the middle step, looking insecure.

His hair was clean and he was wearing a clean pair of jeans with a black button up shirt.

Carol's jaw dropped. She wasn't used to seeing him look like this.

"You look nice-"

"-don't." He stopped her.

She smiled, knowing him all too well.

He looked down at his feet and scuffed his shoes. "What are ya waitin' for? Let's go."

She smiled. "Okay."

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They met up with the rest of the group and walked into the party together.

Daryl stopped as soon as they reached the front door.

He turned to look at Carol, who was standing by his side.

"I don't wanna go in there." He spoke softly so the others couldn't hear.

She looked him straight in the eyes and touched his shoulder gently. "You can do this Daryl. Just be nice we only have to stay for an hour then we can leave."

He nodded and continued walking into Deanna's house.

Daryl looked around the house. Everything was set up perfectly and there wasn't one single speck of dust in the house. It looked just like houses Daryl could only dream of having before the apocalypse. It gave him an uneasy feeling. He thought about what Carol had said and continued saying hi to the people of Alexandria.

He felt like an outsider, he did his whole life. The others had similar pasts, similar statuses in society. Daryl didn't, he was a nobody before the end of the world. In some ways the dead coming alive seemed more of a blessing than a curse to Daryl. This world was made for Daryl Dixon, in this world he was a hero.

He sat down in a chair in the corner away from everyone. Glenn noticed and joined him.

"This is weird." Glenn spoke softly.

"Yeah, yer tellin' me."

"It's all too perfect. I shouldn't feel as secure and safe as I do."

Daryl rolled his eyes and groaned. "Yeah ya shouldn't. I feel like I'm the only one keepin' my boundaries up. Did y'all fuckin' forget what happened last time?" He raised his voice.

Glenn's eyes widened. "Man you're pissed."

"Yeah I'm fuckin' pissed. I woulda thought some of ya would keep your wits about ya. And even Carol is startin' to feel comfortable 'round this place."

Glenn smirked. "So this is about Carol."

"Nah it's 'bout everyone." Daryl said, sounding annoyed. He looked across the room and spotted Carol talking to some other housewives.

"Mhmm." Glenn caught him staring at her.

Glenn knew that they had a special relationship but nothing ever came from it. He knew they loved each other just as they loved the others. They were a family. "Well I'm going to mingle with these people you can join me or you can just sit here and wallow. It's up to you man."

Daryl watched Glenn walk over and join the others.

He grunted. He knew he should put in effort to get to know these people but he really didn't want to. What was the point?

He looked over at Carol to check up on her. She caught his gaze and smiled. She excused herself from the women she was talking to and sat next to Daryl.

She gave him a knowing, sympathetic smile.

She touched his arm. "I'm proud of you Daryl, for trying, I know it's hard for you to pretend that you trust these people."

He nodded and gave her a half smile.

She grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the crowd. "Now please come with me."

He followed without hesitation, he trusted her.

She led him outside onto the front porch where there was one bench. They sat next to each other but kept a distance between them.

He looked at her with sad eyes. "I gave it a chance and I can't, I can't do it Carol. All of this pretendin' it's fake, it's all fake."

She knew how horrible coming to Alexandria had been for Daryl. She wanted to make things better, she had to. Sure, Daryl put on this act of being strong but she knew him for who he really was, the sensitive man with a horrific past. No words could give Daryl a sense of peace, she knew that. The only way she could help him was to show him that she was here.

She smiled and scooted closer to him and put her head on his shoulder. He flinched and the small sign of affection.

They sat like that for a long time, her head on his shoulder just staring out to the distance, saying nothing, letting theirs actions be their voice.

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Carol sat awake in bed that night. She couldn't sleep, something was bothering her and she didn't know what. It just felt too safe here, she couldn't explain it. She closed her eyes and forced the thoughts away, it was ridiculous to think that. How could somewhere be too safe?

She then thought of Daryl, who was sleeping in the room across from hers. She worried about him. She wanted him to feel safe and she wanted him to feel that he was a part of the group. It took long for him to feel that way in the first place and she didn't want it to go away.

She couldn't think straight. What if he had gone away, what if he left? She couldn't deal with the thoughts anymore. She had to go to his room to see if he was still there.

She made her way across the hallway and cracked open his door just enough to see him peacefully sleeping in bed.

She suddenly wanted him to wake up, she had to talk to him. She dropped an unlit candle that was sitting on the dresser next to her and it made a loud thunk. He immediately shot out of bed and saw Carol standing in his doorway, looking guilty.

"Sorry, I was just checking to see if you were sleeping and I knocked over this candle. I didn't mean to wake you." She lied.

He knew she was lying, he saw the look in her eyes that told him it wasn't an accident. He figured she wanted to talk about something.

"Ya wanna talk?"

She looked down at her feet, she felt bad about waking him and immediately regretted coming in here. "No, you just go back to sleep. I'm sorry I woke you."

He shook his head. "Nah, come here." He patted a spot on his bed next to him.

She walked over and sat down Indian style. He sat up in bed next to her.

"What's goin' on?"

She looked at him and burst into tears, she couldn't hold in her feelings any longer. She had to tell him how she felt. She knew she would sound ridiculous but she didn't care anymore. She was tired of holding it in. "I'm sorry for pushing you away. If you don't want to be nice to these people you don't have to be, just don't leave me." She continued to sob.

Daryl furrowed his brows, confused. "Leave you? I ain't goin' nowhere."

"I don't know what I would do if you left. When we were at the farm and you tried to push away from the group I felt empty. You can't leave like that again." It was true. Ever since he tried to separate from the group on the farm she had this fear in the back of her head that he would do it again. And if he did she honestly didn't know what she would do.

He smirked. "Carol that was a long time ago. I ain't like that no more. I learned my place in this group and I know I belong. So I ain't leavin'. And I don't know what I'd do without ya either. So trust me I ain't gonna try and pull that shit again."

She looked at him with her tear filled hazy blue eyes. "Really?"

"Yeah."

She pulled him in for a hug and clung to him for dear life. He held her for a long time while she cried. He never wanted to make her feel like she felt in that very moment. He knew he had to try harder, for her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Deanna made their job assignments official. Daryl had been assigned to go outside of the walls to get recruits to come live and work in Alexandria. Carol was assigned to be somewhat of a 'housewife' figure. She baked deserts and made food to welcome new people into the town.

The moment she heard that Daryl had to leave the walls of Alexandria her heart sank. She didn't want to be away from him ever again after getting separated at the prison. But she knew this job would be good for him. It would be good for him to get away from these people and have his own space.

That morning he walked downstairs to where Carol was drinking coffee and reading a book on the kitchen table.

He cleared his throat. "Well I'm headin' out."

She looked up from her book and tilted her head. "Do you have to go pookie?" She puckered her lips.

He smirked and groaned. "Stop."

She stood up and walked over to the doorway where he was standing. She put her arms around him as he puts his arms around her, forming a hug. They hugged for a long time. Ever since they were separated after the prison attack they gave proper goodbyes.

He pulled away from the hug and looked at Carol. She was so beautiful. Her bright blue eyes were shining as she looked back at him.

"Stay safe." She moved a stray hairs out of his face and put them back in place with the rest of his hair.

He smiled. "Nine lives, remember?"

She laughed, recalling the time she had said the exact same thing to him.

"I mean it Daryl Dixon, I need you around, I don't know if I could be without you."

She meant every single word that had just come out of her mouth. She didn't know if she could live without him. She needed him by her side, he was her other half, her best friend.

"I know, you too. I promise I'll be back in one piece. Don't ya worry 'bout me jus' keep yourself safe. I need ya too."

And just like that she watched him walk out the front door. He took one glance behind him and saw Carol still watching out the window. She waved and he waved back.

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The next few days were spent getting used to their new job assignments. Carol had said goodbye to him a few days earlier. She was worried but knew he would be okay. Besides, she was busy baking cakes and cooking dinners to be too worried about Daryl.

That morning on her daily walk, she had noticed the people of Alexandria whispering to themselves. They looked uneasy. They caught her looking at them and immediately stopped talking. Maybe she was imagining it... No, she knew what she saw, they were talking, about her. Maybe Daryl was right, maybe this place wasn't as safe as she had originally thought. And for the first time she was worried, maybe this wasn't the place they thought it was.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you all for reading! I hope you like it so far! Please review :)**

The house was empty without Daryl. It felt like there was a piece missing, a part of her was missing.

It was a strange sensation. She had never been this close to anyone in her entire life. She never really had friends before because Ed wouldn't allow that. She loved having someone in her life who she trusted one hundred percent and she knew she could count on. People always asked if they were husband and wife or boyfriend and girlfriend and they would always laugh it off. And sure she teased him once in a while about it but it was a ridiculous thought. She couldn't even imagine being anything more than a friend to Daryl.

She had been going over to Rick's house because she wanted to be around people. She couldn't stand being alone in that house for one more minute.

Rick gently touched Carol's shoulder as she played with Judith, he could tell she was distracted and he knew why.

"He's going to be alright, you've got nothing to worry about."

She turned to look at Rick, caught off guard. She took a deep breath and it took all of her effort to respond. "I know, it's just hard to sit here and do nothing while he's out there with the walkers and all of the other horrible things."

Rick nodded, agreeing. He wanted to be out there so Daryl didn't have to be.

"I mean honestly Rick, I'm starting to agree with Daryl, maybe this place isn't as safe as we think. Why would she give Daryl the hardest job? Because she knows he's the strongest link in our group. Why does she have you running around policing the city? Because she knows that'll distract you. Think about it Rick, it's starting to make sense."

He didn't say anything for a few seconds. He did think about what she just told him. She did have a point, but he still wasn't convinced. He wanted proof before he did anything rash. Besides it could all be in their imagination. "I don't know Carol... You have a point, but I still think we should keep an open mind about this."

"Me too but we should have a plan in case things don't go in our favor."

Rick agreed. "I'll get everyone together tonight and we can talk about it."

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Daryl walked silently next to Aaron as he talked. They had been out here for almost three days and still no sign of anyone to recruit. Thoughts were running through Daryl's mind and the last thing he wanted was to share them. He was worried about the group and most of all, Carol. What if something happened and he wasn't there for it? What if she got hurt or worse, bit? He wouldn't be able to live with himself if that happened. He listened as Aaron rambled on.

"I'm so lucky that I'm still here with Eric by my side. There were lots of times when we almost didn't make it. I bet you know what that's like. I know you're close with that lady with the short grey hair. She seems nice and you guys seem like a good fit for each other. Maybe we could all have dinner sometime, you know Eric is a phenomenal cook. You would love this chicken Alfredo he makes, it's amazing-"

"Will ya please just shut the fuck up." Daryl snapped.

Aaron looked at Daryl, stunned. "Yeah... Listen I'm sorry if I said anything to offend you I didn't mean-"

"No ya didn't I just wanna walk in silence. Please."

Aaron nodded, not saying another word for a long time until they found what looked to be an abandoned camp.

The two men looked around to see if they could find any sign that someone had been living there.

Daryl picked up a knife that was lying on the ground. He stood up and saw that Aaron was standing still and looked frightened. He heard someone say "don't move," and felt the tip of a gun on the back of his head.

The first person he thought about was Carol.

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The group sat around Rick's living room, waiting to see why he called them all together for a meeting. They each had their own theories but none were correct. No one other than Carol and Daryl thought this place was unsafe.

Maggie took a seat next to Carol and started talking. "How you holding up?"

Carol glanced at Maggie and then looked back toward the group, afraid to make eye contact in fear that Maggie would see that Carol really was not okay.

"I'm fine, it's just lonely without him." That part was true. But she was leaving out the fact that she spent the nights when she was supposed to be sleeping, awake thinking about all of the horrific things that Daryl faced.

And today she felt the most worried and didn't know why. She felt like something was wrong. She always knew to trust her instincts, they were never wrong.

"I know, you know you're always welcome to come stay with Glenn and I if you get too lonely."

"I know sweetheart, thank you."

Maggie nodded as Rick began to speak.

He explained that they had to form a plan just to be safe. Everyone was pretty accepting of the idea except Glenn, surprisingly.

Carol knew that he always tried to see the best in people but she thought he would understand this of all people, she thought he would've learned by now that they should always be cautious, no matter what.

He was angry but he listened to the plan. He knew where his loyalty lye, and that was with his original group. Plus, he wanted to make Maggie happy.

Carol wished more than anything that they had made this plan before Daryl had left, then he would know what to do in case something happened.

She still couldn't seem to shake this worried feeling that came over her. She had been telling herself that she had nothing to be worried about but something in the back of her mind was telling her otherwise, and she knew her intuition was never wrong.

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"Listen man, please don't shoot, My friend and I were just checking to see if anyone else was around. We... we are looking for people to come-"

"Help us find a way to get up North." Daryl interrupted before Aaron could give away too much information. Aaron looked at Daryl and caught on to what he was doing.

"Yeah like I would believe that." The man laughed, bitterly.

Daryl didn't know what to do. He knew that if Carol were here she would've already come up with a genius plan. She always knew what to do in situations like this.

Daryl knew he was going to die here, he knew that these were his last few moments. He hated the fact that he told her he would be fine, he promised. Now she was going to have to learn to go on without him. He hated that it had to be like this.

The sound of a gunshot interrupted his thoughts.

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Carol went back to the house. She changed her clothes and crawled into bed. She couldn't sleep. She wanted more than anything to be able to go across the hall and find Daryl sleeping in his bed, safe and sound. It almost didn't feel real, it felt like a horrible dream that she would wake up from any minute. She hated what her mind was doing to her. She hadn't felt this worried in a while, since Sophia went missing.

She stood up and got out of bed. She started pacing back and fourth as she thought. Sometimes her thoughts were her worst enemy.

She looked outside her bedroom window. The sky was calm, almost too calm. There was no cool breeze that usually set in at this time of the night. She looked up and saw that the beautiful stars had been covered up by thick clouds. She sat on the floor of her bedroom, looking out the window for a long time. That's when she noticed it. Everyone in Alexandria was walking to Deanna's house, everyone except her group.

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At first he thought he had for sure been shot. He didn't feel the shot but he heard it and figured that's what happened when you were shot, your body goes into shock and you don't feel it for a while. He truly believed this until he saw the trail of blood that wasn't his. He looked at the ground and up at a trembling Aaron holding a gun. Aaron shot the man.

Daryl said nothing. He just walked over to Aaron, who was still holding the gun pointing it in the direction of the man, and gently took it away from him.

"We need to get outta here before any people he coulda been with show up."

Aaron nodded and followed as Daryl led them to an abandoned shack far away.

The two men sat down in chairs. Aaron stared blankly at the wall and Daryl stared at Aaron, trying to figure this man out.

"Thank you... Ya know, for savin' my life."

Aaron nodded and finally spoke for the first time in a long time. "It's what you do for friends. I was just trying to be a decent human being... There's so many cruel ones nowadays."

Daryl agreed. The world had gone to shit and so had humanity. He didn't know if it ever would, or even could, go back to the way it once was.

"I need to tell you something Daryl."

Daryl immediately saw that Aaron was going to say something he wouldn't like. Daryl nodded, letting him know to continue.

"Deanna's planning something, I don't know what but it's not good. She's going to do something to your people. And I know others are in on it too."

Daryl felt his jaw and fists clench. "And why the fuck would you wait until we are all the way here to tell me this?" Daryl's voice rose.

Aaron flinched. "That's the thing, I couldn't tell you in there, she has eyes and ears everywhere. You can't trust anyone in there."

"And why the hell would I trust you?"

"You don't have to. I just wanted to warn you before things got bad. I know you got people in there that you care about. She's planning something soon."

Daryl picked up his crossbow and started running as fast as he could back to Alexandria. He had to get to Carol.

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All of the sudden the people started walking out of Deanna's house with guns and weapons in their hands. Carol picked up the gun she had stole from the armory and been hiding. She ran over to Rick's house and woke him up.

She told him everything she saw and he told her to go and wake up the others while he woke up his children and grabbed the bag he had packed earlier, it was all a part of the plan they had set just a few hours ago.

Carol woke the others and told them what was going on. She couldn't believe the timing, they couldn't have planned it any better. The others were in shock when she told them what was happening. They couldn't believe that they got their hopes up and were let down, yet again. They ran over to Rick's house. Carol could see the people going into Glenn and Maggie's house, just in time, she thought.

Daryl was right the whole time not to trust these people, she should've known. How was he supposed to know what was going on? He had no idea of the plan they created. He was going to come back and no one would be here. She had to do something.

"Wait here."

"Carol where are you going? We don't have time for anything!" Tara yelled.

Carol turned and without saying a word ran out the door. She ran back to her house. She went to the kitchen and tried to find something, anything, to give Daryl a hint about where they would be.

She looked down at the wooden floors and suddenly had an idea. She pulled out her knife and carved 'Cherokee rose' into the wood.

She hoped he would get the message and figure out what it meant.

She ran back to Rick's house. They had guns and knives that they had stolen from the armory a while ago. They group made their way to the back gates and snuck outside.

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Daryl ran faster than he'd ran in his life, as Aaron chased after him begging him not to go back there. Aaron knew that he would be in trouble for telling Daryl.

"Please stop! What if you get there and you're group isn't there! They're probably gone by now... Or dead. Just don't drag me down with you!"

Daryl stopped in his tracks and turned and looked at Aaron. "You fuckin' ass!" He ran toward Aaron and punched him in the face. He continued to punch him but stopped himself before it was taken too far. He could've killed Aaron if he wanted to. The only reason he didn't was because he needed him for information... And he saved his life.

"Please stop." Aaron begged as he lie on the ground holding his bloody face.

"Get up." Daryl mumbled.

Aaron stood up weakly and stumbled away from Daryl.

"Where do you think yer goin'? You gotta tell me everything." Daryl needed answers, now. He was scared that Aaron wouldn't help him because he lost his cool and beat the shit out of him. He cringed at the thought of what Carol would say about that.

Aaron looked uneasy. "Fine just please don't hurt me anymore."

Daryl shrugged and Aaron took that as an okay.

"Alright, well for starters they are good people I promise. They just don't trust others, like you guys. When I scouted you all I knew that you were a perfect fit and the others knew it too. But when you got to Alexandria you all had your reservations, which is completely fine and normal, but certain people don't take lightly to that. So they started having meetings, planning to kick you guys out, nothing serious. Then we caught your people stealing back weapons from the armory and that really got some people angry. That's when the crazy ideas started, people saying that they wanted you guys dead. So Deanna gave everyone weapons and decided that one night soon they would kill you guys."

Daryl was in shock. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. He wanted to scream, he had to get back to the others- to Carol. Never in his life had he been this concerned for others. Hell, he didn't have anyone to be concerned for. He never loved anyone like he loved his group, especially Carol. He didn't know if it was the heat of the moment or his actual feelings, but all he wanted in this very moment was to hold Carol in his arms. He cursed himself for wanting that... He hated these feelings. He had never felt that way about anyone before.


	4. Chapter 4

The group didn't stop running until they felt they were a safe distance away. They found an abandoned shack in the woods and cleared it of walkers. They stopped there to take a break and talk about what just happened and what this meant for the future.

"I can't believe this shit." Abraham mumbled. "We were so close... So close to being normal again."

Carol couldn't take it anymore. They didn't believe him, no one did, and now he was gone and they were here, safe, and he wasn't. She hated herself for not listening to him sooner, he was right the whole time. She should've known. She was also pissed at the others for not agreeing with him either. The others were still talking and she couldn't take it anymore, she couldn't keep listening to them question why this happened, she knew why.

"Damn it shut up! Do you really want to know why we're are here in this position right now? Because none of us believed him, and when I started to no one else did! It's our fault this happened! We should have been more cautious! We should've listened to Daryl! And now he's gone and there's nothing we can do to help him!" She yelled.

Everyone looked at her, stunned. She finally snapped, there was bound to be a breaking point at some time.

Glenn looked furious. "You didn't listen to him either! He told me that! That was the whole reason why he was so upset when we got here it was all because of you, everything he does is either for you or has something to do with you and I'm sick of it! You have him wrapped around your finger!" He yelled.

Carol couldn't believe what she had just heard. Glenn never yelled at her, he never lost his cool. She was so upset by what he said to her.

"Stop it you two. We don't have time to fight and play the blame game we have to get to the farm, remember the plan." Tara whispered.

"What about Daryl? He's going to go back there and we won't be there. I left him a clue but I don't know if he will understand it." She spoke softly.

Carol caught the others looking at each other.

Rick gave her a sad look. "There's nothing we can do about that. If he finds us he finds us, if he doesn't... Well we just have to move on."

Her eyes looked as if they were going to pop out of her head. "You can't be serious. After everything he's done for us..."

"Carol there is nothing we can do. Do you think I want it to be this way? Of course not, I'm just being realistic, you need to prepare yourself for the worst. You may never see him again."

She knew Rick was right, she just didn't want to believe it. She walked away from the others and felt she would burst into tears. She didn't cry, she was stronger now. A year ago she would've cried her eyes out at the thought of never seeing him again. She went and sat with her legs held close to her body in the corner of the room and stared out the window the whole night.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Daryl and Aaron continued toward Alexandria even though Aaron had advised against it. Daryl had made it very clear that they were playing by his rules now.

He walked quickly with Aaron trailing behind. He had to get back there and tell the others before something happened.

"So do ya think the bitch already put the plan in motion?" Daryl asked, fishing for more answers.

Aaron took a deep breath and was hesitant to reply. He figured he'd already given away too much information, what harm would it do now? He would already be dead if Deanna found out what he had told Daryl.

"Well, yes. When Deanna puts her mind to something she usually accomplishes it right away. I would have to say it already happened, unless something came up or went wrong."

Daryl cringed, that was not the answer he was looking for.

Aaron continued. "And even if we make it back in time, which I doubt, she will be suspicious and know that something is up. You have to think this through Daryl."

He thought about what Aaron had said. He knew the man was right, he had to have a plan, he couldn't just act on his emotions and go busting in there.

"I'm going to go pee around the corner I'll be right back." Aaron walked away.

Daryl stood there thinking about what he had just said. He had to come up with something, quick. His mind went elsewhere when he heard Aaron crying. Daryl walked over to find the man sitting on the ground with his face buried in his knees, sobbing. Daryl didn't know what was wrong and quite frankly, didn't care to ask. He hated talking about feelings, especially other people's.

"Aaron..."

He jumped. Daryl had startled him. He quickly stood up and wiped away his tears. "Let's keep moving, we should try and get there before sundown."

And without another word the two men continued on to Alexandria.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The next morning Carol woke up. She recalled the events of last night. She was exhausted from getting no sleep. It was a new day and she decided to forget what Rick had said. She walked outside and found Maggie keeping watch. Maggie turned around and saw Carol standing behind her.

Maggie thought Carol looked horrible. She could tell that she didn't sleep all night. Maggie truly felt sorry for Carol. She knew she had been through so much already and this was just the cherry on top. It was the last thing Carol needed. But Maggie knew she was strong now and she was able to handle anything that came her way.

"Good morning." Carol muttered.

"Morin'." Maggie smiled. "When everyone wakes up we are going to keep heading toward the farm. Is that okay with you?"

Carol nodded. She noticed the look of pity she was receiving from Maggie. She didn't need anyone's pity. She was fine. "Do you think we will be safe there?"

Maggie looked uneasy. She wasn't sure how safe the farm would be anymore, especially after everything that happened when they left the farm the last time. "You know, I'm really not sure. All we can do is hope."

Carol nodded. She knew Maggie was right. When they made the plan, the farm was the first place they thought of. Sure, it was risky, but it was their last option.

She walked back into the shack and found the others awake gathering their things to leave. When they saw Carol room went silent. Rick gave Carol a sympathetic look.

"Can I talk to you?" Rick asked.

Carol said yes and they walked outside, a few feet away from the shack, away from everyone.

"Listen, I'm sorry about what I said last night. It was wrong of me to be so brutally honest. I know how much you care about Daryl."

She smiled sadly. She knew he had been right last night but she didn't want to admit it. Admitting it would mean that she gave up hope that Daryl would ever find them. She had to be strong, for Daryl. "No it's okay, you were just trying to prepare me for the worst. It really was a wake up call I need to be prepared if the outcome isn't what I want it to be."

She was well aware that things could take a turn for the worse and she would never see Daryl again. But she'd be damned if she didn't try. Suddenly she thought of something. It was a crazy thought but she knew she had to do it. It was the only way she could see him again.

She was going to go find him herself.

She didn't dare tell Rick because he wouldn't have let her. He would've stopped her and talked some sense into her, and she didn't want to be talked sense into. She had to do this. She was going to find him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The two men walked in silence. Daryl was fine with this, he enjoyed the silence. He hated small talk... Or any talk at all for that matter. Thoughts raced through his mind. Carol's face kept popping up. He wished he knew if she was okay, or even alive. How could this happen? He thought back to the last night they spent together. She was so worried about him and he promised her he would be okay. That night their feelings were put out there, he had never felt so vulnerable in his life. He told her that he couldn't live without her and she had said the same. He needed her by his side right now more than anything.

Aaron interrupted his thoughts. "Listen about earlier,I was crying because I'm worried about Eric. We both were against Deanna hurting your group and there were only a few of us that stood up to her. I'm just worried that she hurt him,"

Daryl truly felt sorry for the man. He really was one of the good guys. It was rare to come by good people those days.

"Sorry to hear that. Thanks for bein' one of the good guys."

Aaron chuckled. "You're not one to talk about emotional things I take it."

"Yeah... Never really was."

"The man of very few words."

Daryl nodded. And smirked sadly, Carol always used that saying to describe him.

"So I never really got the chance to ask, what's going on between that woman, Carol I think her name is, and you?"

Daryl was caught off guard. Why did everyone just assume that something was going on? Nothing was and he didn't need to explain himself. "Nothin'."

Aaron knew there was something more. The way they looked at each other just said it all. There had to be something more going on between these two people. "Oh come on, you guys are perfect together. Every time I see you when you're with her you're always happier. You can't tell me you don't have feelings for her."

Daryl had honestly never even thought about taking it to another level with Carol. Did he have feelings for her? He asked himself. He didn't have an answer. Yeah he cared about her, and he obviously loved her like a family member. But did he have feelings? He didn't know.

He smirked. "Nah man. Me n' Carol are just friends... Closer than most people though, that's all."

Aaron smiled, knowingly. There was much more to that relationship, Daryl just hadn't figured it out yet.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Carol quickly grabbed a knife and a gun. She waited until the others were distracted. Then she ran out the back door. She kept running and running. She wanted to get as far away from the group as possible. She knew if they found her they would try and talk some sense into her, and that was the last thing she wanted. Nothing made sense to her anymore. She didn't want it to make sense anymore.

She stopped running so she could catch her breath. She killed a few walkers with her knife as she came across a whole herd of them. The walkers were easy to deal with now, it was the people who you had to be afraid of. Nothing scared her anymore, she had seen it all.

She worried that the group would start to look for her. She regretted not telling anyone. What if they thought something horrible happened? She knew they would look. She hated that she didn't tell them.

Her thoughts were all over the place. She then thought about what happened to Sophia. What if the same thing happened to Daryl? She couldn't deal with that. She didn't know what she would do. The rain started to pour down and the thunder was louder than she had ever heard. A storm was coming.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps behind her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The rain was a constant reminder that the world around them still went on even if the dead were walking and any sign of humanity seemed to disappear.

Daryl and Aaron sat under a dead tree for the little shelter it had.

Aaron noticed Daryl's foot tapping nervously.

"If Deanna wanted to do something it would be done already. Tapping that foot won't stop this storm anytime soon."

Daryl looked at Aaron angrily. Of all the fuckin' things he could've said.

"Thanks man that really makes me feel better." He rolled his eyes.

"No I'm just saying, there's no need to rush back."

Daryl didn't respond. He couldn't think of any response and quite frankly, he didn't want to put in the effort it would take to respond to that idiotic statement.

What was he doing, sitting here waiting out the storm? He got up and started walking. He ignored Aaron's questions about where he was going. He didn't have to explain himself to anyone. He was going back to Alexandria with or without Aaron. He was sick and tired of waiting for him.

"Daryl! Where are you going? Daryl!"

He kept walking without saying a word. Aaron followed behind him catching on that he shouldn't question the man.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

She started running. The footsteps could be anyone and if it was more than one person she didn't think she could fight them off alone. She ran faster than she'd ever run in her life, until she heard a familiar voice.

"Carol what the hell are you doing!"

She stopped in her tracks and saw that Maggie was chasing after her. Maggie finally caught up to Carol.

She paused to catch her breath. "What are you doing?" Maggie asked in between breaths.

Carol knew she should just tell the truth, hiding from it would just make things more difficult. The truth would come out eventually, it always did. "I'm going to find him myself. No one else is willing to find him so I have to."

Maggie understood. She would probably do the same if it was Glenn in this situation.

Maggie nodded. "Okay, lead the way."

"What?"

"You don't think I'd let you do this alone, do you?"

Carol smiled. She was grateful that Maggie was willing to help but she had to do this alone.

"Do the others know you're here?"

Maggie nodded. "I told them I was going to chase after you and then I ran. I won't be surprised if they show up soon." She laughed.

Carol sighed. She knew she had to send Maggie back. She didn't want the others to come after them. She wanted them to get to the farm safely and she would meet them back there when she had Daryl back.

"Maggie, you need to go back. I can do this on my own... I need to do this on my own."

Maggie shook her head. Carol was crazy to think she would let her do this alone. "No I'm coming with you. I'm not letting you go alone."

"Sweetie, I appreciate the offer, I really do, but this is something I have to do. I don't need anyone's help. I've been on my own before." She reminded her of the time Rick sent her away from the prison.

"I'm not Rick and I'm not letting you go alone, that's final."

Carol knew Maggie wasn't taking no for an answer and she wouldn't unless she was brutally honest and harsh. "If they see us back there they will kill us and then they will go find everyone else and kill them. If I go alone there is a better chance that we won't be seen. I need to do this alone. If you want to loose your life or your husband and everyone else that matters to you then that's your choice. But if I were you I would choose the smart option and stay back. I love you and I love that you're trying to help me but you need to think about this first."

Maggie looked terrified but she thought about what Carol said, she was right but Maggie still hated to let her go alone.

There was a long pause before Maggie answered. "Okay. You better be safe, and if you don't meet us at the farm in the next four days I'm coming to look for you."

Carol smiled. It was nice to know she was cared about. "Okay thank you sweetie."

The two women hugged and went their separate ways.

Carol was going to find Daryl.


End file.
